Rarely is the financial side of life smooth sailing. No matter if you have credit card debt, student loans, or higher living expenses, sometimes it can be really hard to make ends meet. Combined with other expenses like groceries, rent, and utilities, you may be desperate for ways to make more money.
Thankfully there are plenty of side hustles that you can pick up to make some extra cash on a weekly or monthly basis. If you’ve got extra time, then you’ve got everything needed to relieve some of your financial stress.
Keep reading to learn about 5 easy side hustles that can make you extra money
1. Use Your Car to Make Money
Owning a car can be quite expensive. But, having one opens all sorts of options for making extra money. For example, you can easily make up to $25 an hour by working as a Lyft or Uber driver. All you have to do is drive people around town!
Uber and Lyft are extremely flexible money making options. You set your own hours and can work as little or as much as your schedule allows. Even if you don’t own a car, you can rent one through Uber!
Another option for making money using your car is to work for companies like Postmates, Door Dash, and Grub Hub. These companies also offer total flexibility, but instead of driving around people, you’ll instead be delivering food to customers.
2. Use Survey Junkie
Everyone has their opinion, but what if you could get paid for sharing yours? Survey Junkie is a well-known paid survey site that allows users to make money by simply taking short surveys.
You can sign up for free and begin taking surveys immediately. Completed surveys can pay anywhere from $2 to $75, depending on the length and depth of the survey. The site also allows users to join focus groups and product testers.
What’s great about Survey Junkie is that even if you don’t qualify for a survey, you still earn points for it. You also earn points for signing up, completing your profile, confirming your email, and taking the “How it Works” tour. This adds up to a quick 105 points!
As you’ll learn from any Survey Junkie review, you won’t become rich by taking surveys. But, if you dedicate enough time and earn enough points, you can make extra cash. 1,000 points equate to $10, which you can cash out or have put onto a gift card.
3. Sign Up for Cash Back Apps
With cash back apps, you don’t have to put in any extra work to earn extra money. Cashback apps pretty much pay you to shop for items you need! These apps offer cashback promotions on groceries, clothing, pet products, baby products, and much more.
There are several cash back apps that are worth trying, though the top apps include:
- Ibotta
- Ebates
- Mr. Rebates
To start earning cash back, all you have to do is download the app and make your purchase online or in store. If you make a purchase at a brick and mortar store, apps like Ibotta require you to upload a picture of your receipt so that they can confirm your purchase. Once confirmed, money is credited to your account.
4. Rent A Spare Room in Your Home
Do you have an extra bedroom in your home that goes unused? If you’re welcome to share your home with guests, Airbnb is a great resource for making extra money.
As an Airbnb host, you get paid 24 hours after a guest checks in. Depending on the popularity of your home and the price you charge per night, you could easily bring in hundreds of dollars a week!
Compare other homes in your area to ensure you’re listing your space at a competitive price. Of course, if your home offers special amenities like a pool, hot tub, or space separate from the main home, you could charge more.
5. Sell Items
One of the quickest ways to make money if you’re in a bind is to sell items that you no longer need. People are always looking on Craigslist, eBay, and OfferUp for a great deal on used items. Things like household appliances, furniture, and collectibles can all make you a pretty penny, especially if they’re in good condition.
The key to selling items is to take quality photos and to write a good description. This way interested buyers know exactly what they’re buying. You’re also likely to attract more interest if your items are priced competitively.
Conclusion
Everyone goes through financial difficulties. The good news is that there are all sorts of ways that you can make extra money to make rough patches a little more bearable. Keep these 5 side gigs in mind if you want to make side money without having to work a second job.
